Placing the crystals

Chhi’méd Rig’dzin Rinpoche adds the final touches

In this photograph Chhi’méd Rig’dzin Rinpoche and Ngak’chang Rinpoche look at the hat which has just been completed. Ngak’chang Rinpoche recollects:The morning of the day after I finished sewing Chhi’méd Rig’dzin Rinpoche’s empowerment hat, a parcel arrived containing crystals from Austria. These were an assortment of cut crystals designed to be hung in the window to cause rainbow colours. I opened the parcel and Chhi’méd Rig’dzin Rinpoche seemed most interested with them. He then proceeded to place them in a pattern on the hat I had just completed, and said: ‘This possible?’ I replied that it was certainly possible and proceeded to sew them on as he had indicated. The identical hat I made for myself on Chhi’méd Rig’dzin Rinpoche’s pattern never acquired the crystals. I did send off for another set, but hung them in the window where they were a constant reminder of Chhi’méd Rig’dzin Rinpoche’s visit to my home.